6 Tips For Homeschool Science Labs

This post is sponsored by College Prep Science. Copyright 2020 by Greg Landry

Introduction: Homeschooling is rewarding, but it can also be a challenge. Greg Landry has some great ideas to help both parents and kids enjoy the homeschooling experience. Check out his article below.

I fell in love with science labs in college and graduate school. I loved being able to “see” the science happening rather than just reading about it. As a homeschool dad and former college professor, I'm passionate about teaching science, in particular, Christ-centered lab science to homeschooled students. But, I know that on average we don’t provide enough lab experience for our homeschooled students – often very little. And, for many of them, that puts them at a tremendous disadvantage going into college – and in understanding how science works.

If you’re a homeschool parent, may I offer a few homeschool science lab suggestions:

1. Allow your 6th-12th grade students to explore science, dissections, interactions of matter, experiments, etc. Most students love exploring and experimenting once they get started. 
2. Teach them the scientific method and why it’s important.
3. As they explore, teach them to record their observations and results.
4. Teach them to create a lab report (the written result of the scientific method) for each of their explorations or experiments.
5. Keep those exploration and experiment notes and lab reports in a lab notebook as a record of their work. Label it for the subject and time period – colleges may want to see it.
6. Periodically review those lab manuals for lab ideas, etc.

If you’d prefer not to dissect/explore/experiment at home, we offer two options that enable your students to complete their lab requirements for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics:

1. In-Person Two-Day Labs – 15 Nationwide Locations

Our two-day Biology and Chemistry Lab Intensives that allow students to complete a school year of Biology or Chemistry labs in two days or both of them in three days. I have the privilege of interacting with 7th-12th grade students as we cover wide-ranging and in-depth college-prep labs, appropriate background information, and lab reports. These are offered at 15 locations across the U.S. Students earn a full school year lab credit for each intensive they complete.

2. Our Virtual Homeschool Science Laboratory – Accessed from a Computer
   This enables students to virtually walk into and use a great science lab - from their computer at home. All the experiments are ready to go with background information and step-by-step instructions. Students actually perform the experiment from their computer – filling a beaker with hot water, putting a thermometer in the water to measure the temperature, mixing chemicals by pouring from beakers, determining the mass of items in a physics experiment by placing items on a balance, etc. It’s very realistic and enables them to experience the lab, collect data, and produce lab reports over the period of a school year at a pace they choose.. Students earn a full school year lab credit for each set of labs they complete for either Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.
   

​Homeschool dad, scientist, and former college professor, Greg Landry, offers live, online homeschool science classes, Homeschool ACT Prep Bootcamp, the Homeschool Mom’s Science Podcast, in-person two-day science lab intensives nationwide, freebies for homeschool moms, and student-produced homeschool print publications.

Table-Time Look and Learn Mostly Math Tablecloth Review

The Table-Time Look & Learn™ Mostly Math Tablecloth features a wide variety of math-related lessons that cover the educational State Standards children must learn to progress from pre-K/K level to first grade. Quirky animal characters and imagery from Rob Oliver, a Simpsons® illustrator and Emmy-nominated artist, make it extra unique.

Made from PEVA, which has the feel of vinyl but contains zero harmful PVCs, the Mostly Math Tablecloth is a trustworthy alternative to traditional materials. PEVA cleans up easily with a damp cloth, and children can even write on/wipe off with Crayola® Ultra-Clean Washable Markers for more interactive fun.

Our Thoughts

This tablecloth has everything on it! I love this, it is an absolute must-have for all families, especially homeschooling mothers like myself!

Shapes, numbers, seasons, time, counting, money, animals, it has everything on here that is basic for every child to learn and it is done in such a fun manner! The name of this tablecloth is almost deceiving because it's not just math, it's so much more. The eye is constantly being dragged from one fun (and educational) activity on this table cloth straight to the next.

The package is small and light weight. Very easy to open and it's large so it'll fit any kind of table. I also had the thought that it would be pretty cool pegged up on a wall, but you would have to move it around so they weren't looking at some of the stuff upside down. It could still work though. It's such a creative table cloth that you can do many things with it.

I really really love how this cloth covers so much more than just basic math and it is done in such a simple manner that it is easy for kids to understand. My six year old is going nuts over this cloth.

I haven't even mentioned yet how much fun she has with coloring on it. You can draw on this and wipe it off and do it all over again! My toddler doesn't understand what is going on, but he sure does get a kick out of coloring on something he's not generally allowed to color on. It involves all the kids together. They sit at the table while I'm making their plates and just browse around the cloth, it seems like they are constantly learning or finding something new on it.

As for wiping off the marker, it really is a simple as getting a wet cloth and wiping it off. Easy peasy! 

Buy yours here and don't forget to check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Reviewed by Jackie

Book Review: George Washington: 25 Great Projects You Can Build Yourself

George Washington: 25 Great Projects You Can Build Yourself offers a fascinating look into the life and times of our nation’s first president. Readers ages 9 and up can explore Washington’s years as a young Virginia gentleman, his military battles, and his political contributions to a fledgling nation. 25 hands-on activities help kids learn about this legendary figure in American history. George Washington: 25 Great Projects You Can Build Yourself includes biographical sidebars, illustrations, historical facts that allow kids to explore George Washington in a fun, hands-on way.


Our Thoughts

I am not a homeschooling mom, I am however a mom of some very intelligent little boys who are in love with history and building things.

This book is a fantastic way for the boys to learn about one of our founding fathers and make some really simple, cool items! For the younger boys this book can be easily picked to pieces so they do not get an over load of information, but for my oldest, he can sit and read this book by himself. What impressed me more was when my oldest took this to school. The history teacher was impressed with the information and projects. She even used a project or two out of the book for the kids.

If you are a homeschooler, a mom with kiddos that like projects, or are just interested in history - I highly recommend this book to add to your arsenal of teaching and learning! 5 Stars from us!

You can find this book on Amazon or Goodreads.

Review: School Zone Workbooks for Kids

School Zone

The World's Best Workbooks, Flash Cards, & Software for Kids

Workbooks Make it a Great School Year!
Give your kids fun ways to enhance classroom lessons with School Zone’s award-winning workbooks. We pack them with challenging lessons that reinforce reading and math skills and give your kids an edge in the classroom. Shop and save on colorful, fun and engaging school workbooks that help improve math and reading skills, starting at $2.99!

The Workbook Advantage™

• Simple – Easy instructions help children understand and complete the exercises. A straightforward guide for parents suggests a natural sequence.
• Fun – Colorful, smiling, and funny characters feel like friends and motivate children to learn.
• Effective – Preparation and reinforcement of classroom skills can be used for working independently at school or at home.

New Workbooks from SchoolZone:

Little Thinkers, Preschool
Help sharpen your preschooler’s problem-solving skills. Dozens of quick, fun, and creative learning activities encourage looking--and thinking--carefully. Little Thinkers have to compare, evaluate, and imagine. This 32-page workbook combines skills and stretches abilities and makes it fun! A few examples: Check the animal that does not belong in the group. Color all the squares red. Check the traffic light that tells you to stop. Color to finish the pattern. Circle the rabbit that is going to the right. Draw a line to where the cow lives. X 5 things wrong in the picture. Match the cookie cutter to its cookie. Circle the picture that rhymes with frog. Whew! Thinking gets a world-class workout. Slip this workbook into backpack or tote as a super take-along for travel and appointments.
Features & Benefits
• 32 workbook pages
• Dozens of activities
• Easy directions
• Lively illustrations
• Affordable learning!
Skills: focus; following directions; shapes; problem-solving; counting; comparing; same and different; compare and contrast; matching; rhyming; sequencing; patterns; critical thinking; hand-eye coordination; perception; imagination

Little Thinkers, Kindergarten
Help your kindergartner be an A #1 problem-solver! Dozens of quick, fun, and creative learning activities encourage looking--and thinking--carefully. Little Thinkers have to compare, evaluate, and imagine. This 32-page workbook takes the basics, and with a whimsical twist, turns them into challenging adventures! A few examples: Circle the picture that shows why this happened. Circle the clock that shows 4:00. Write the missing number. Draw a line to match each letter pair (uppercase and lowercase). Circle the word that matches the picture. X the snake that is the longest; check the snake that is the shortest. Write the number that is between two other numbers. These strategic activities sharpen multiple skills fast! Slip this workbook into backpack or tote as a super take-along for travel and appointments.
Features & Benefits
• 32 workbook pages
• Dozens of activities
• Easy directions
• Lively illustrations
• Affordable learning!
Skills: alphabet; letters; uppercase letters; lowercase letters; coins; more and less; focus; following directions; problem-solving; counting; skip counting; comparing; matching; sequencing; patterns; opposites; compare and contrast; rhyming; counting; spelling; telling time; critical thinking; perception; imagination

Try-n-Spy, Places & Spaces
Help your child learn to read, and sharpen observation skills at the same time! Kids love finding picture clues, and this Try-n-Spy Places & Spaces workbook gives them plenty of practice, as they discover city life. Each colorful page is filled with cute characters and fun objects to find. By spying each one, your child will also develop attention to detail, perception, and problem-solving skills. Silly rhymes add to the fun and learning. “Read the rhyme and put a checkmark next to each picture you find. “Try-n-spy a gecko, a turtle named Hank, a tent, an egg, and a pink piggy bank.” Or “Try-n-Spy an otter, a long, crooked cane, a lightbulb, a cookie, and a tiny, toy plane.” The majority of the English language is phonetic, and familiar rhymes and patterns help build reading and language skills. Picture clues reinforce the meaning of the words. Choose from 32 whimsical adventure scenes that include a pet shop, a porcupine’s art studio, and library full of chickens. Take this book along anywhere, and turn restless wiggles into attention-grabbing giggles. What a great, learn-to-read adventure!
Features & Benefits
• 32 themed try-n-spy scenes
• Easy directions featuring clever rhymes
• Lively illustrations
• Affordable learning!
Skills: reading readiness; focus; observation; hand-eye coordination; perception; fine motor skills; following directions; rhyming; spelling; vocabulary; creativity



School Zone's Children's Tablet: Little Scholar

Little Scholar
More than 35 years in education have produced the world’s best in parent-trusted, teacher-approved learning materials. That legacy and expertise now deliver the best in mobile learning: Little Scholar. Bursting with great content, this tablet is uniquely designed for children in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade! Playful, powerful, and packed with learning, it will build readiness skills to last a lifetime. Kids will have a blast mastering math, reading, spelling, and more, with over 150 preloaded apps, videos, e-books, and songs. Progressive challenge combines with playful creativity. For example, both parents and kids will enjoy learning and singing 87 original, toe-tapping songs.
The learning—and the fun—continue with one-of-a-kind video programming. Enjoy family time with Charlie & Company, a new, interactive, educational video series with live action and animation. It stars Charlie the Golden Retriever and his best friend, Miss Ellie, who embark on educational adventures. The show also features performances and original music by Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe. 
With Little Scholar, you avoid the risks and inconveniences of so many other e-products. The positive "no's" include: no registration or credit card required at start-up; no apps to download; no upsells for buying more apps; no expensive cartridges to lose; no lite or partial-version apps; no advertisements, and no worries about kids accessing objectionable content.
Turn on Little Scholar, and let the learning adventure begin! It’s ready right out of the box and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. Shipping insurance is included automatically with your order.
Features
• Over 150 preloaded apps, videos, books, songs, and games.
• Exclusive, interactive, educational video series: Charlie & Company.
• Original content, in a kid-safe environment, with no additional costs.
• A+ Report Card app for viewing dynamic graphs and reports of children’s activity with each Little Scholar program.
• Audio praise and feedback.
• Rear- and front-facing camera.
• Durable construction designed for little hands and rigorous use.
• 100% money-back guarantee!
Skills: colors, shapes; patterns; counting; numbers; addition; subtraction; letters; ABCs; uppercase letters; lowercase letters; multiplication; telling time; counting coins; phonics; rhyming; beginning letters; letter sounds; short and long vowel sounds; letter blends; spelling; matching; same and different; vocabulary; critical thinking; memorization; problem-solving; fine motor skills; observation; eye-hand coordination; focus
(U.S. English language & math conventions)
Ages 3-7

Visit School Zone on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Our Thoughts
We love School Zone!  We already own at least eight sets of their flashcards.  And there's lots more sets on their website that isn't offered in local stores that I'd like to get for my son.

Although flashcards are still his favorite, we're starting to get into workbooks. School Zone sent us the Little Thinkers - Preschool, Little Thinkers - Kindergarten, and Try-n-Spy - Places & Spaces.   I'm planning to send my 5 yr old son to public school for, at the very least, the social aspect, however I will be implementing some homeschooling studies.  He deals with speech and motor apraxia, which means he is non-verbal and unable to sign.  I hate it when people assume he isn't smart because he has no functional means of communication - you just have to learn his language.  His attention span may be an issue in school, too, so I'll do whatever I can at home to expand his knowledge base.

I thought my son would be more interested in the Little Thinkers series, but he loves to look at the Try-n-Spy workbook the most!  He studies things in minute detail and there's a lot to look at in the Try-n-Spy series. I would LOVE to get my hands on their new children's tablet, the Little Scholar, but it's a bit (okay, a lot) out of my price range.

School Zone offers SO many different workbooks, flashcards, books, apps, software, & activities! If you haven't tried School Zone with your kids, give them a try - we are big fans here!! 

Wall Pops - USA Dry Erase Map Review

 **Product was received in exchange for an honest review**

GO AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN WITH WALLPOPS

~ Geographic Décor That’s Made in the U.S.A. Adds Charm to Any Living Space~

In more ways than one, maps are a familiar, comforting symbol to most of the population. We’ve seen them in classrooms as children, learned from them when we grew up and moved away, and, as adults, can stand back and admire all the wonderful places we’ve been along the way. Maps are a staple for interior design – they add character and sophistication to any room and are always a cause for conversation. Whether yours is curling at the edges, covered in push-pins from exotic vacations or sitting behind glass in a polished frame, WallPops has a variety of new geographical decorations for everyone.

These removable, reusable maps are ideal for home, classroom or office settings. Whether for a child learning about the world, for the globetrotter at heart or for strategic planning in a business setting, a WallPops map is a colorful, functional way to express geo-style.

Designed and manufactured in the United States, WallPops is proud of its American base. “We believe in offering our customers the absolute best product we can create, and the quality and design of our American-made wall art is exactly that: the best,” said Paula Berberian, Creative Services Manager for Brewster Home Fashions, manufacturers of WallPops. “Having that ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ stamp on our product is very important to us.”  

Dry Erase Maps

            Mark down ideal vacation spots or draw yourself a route on your WallPops Dry Erase Map, which comes complete with a marker. All map decals are approximately $20.99 each and include:

·         Kids USA Dry Erase Map: This colorful, educational dry erase map boasts state capitals and fun symbols to represent a unique quality of each state. Perfect for children’s décor or a classroom. Measures 36- by 24- inches.

                    Kids USA Dry Erase Map

·         Kids World Dry Erase Map: Kids can think big and create their own notes with this dry erase map of the world. Bright colors and relevant symbols for each region makes this especially suited for kids. Measures 36- by 24- inches

   

  Kids World Dry Erase Map. 

·         National Geographic USA Dry Erase Map: Sophisticated earth tones and gold framing around the title make this National Geographic Dry Erase map a timeless installation. Measures 24- by 36- inches.

                      National Geographic USA Dry Erase Map

·         National Geographic World Dry Erase Map: This executive style dry erase accent adds a touch of class to any home or office space. Measures 24- by 36- inches.

                     

                     National Geographic World Dry Erase Map

·         USA Dry Erase Map: This classic and functional dry erase map of the United States is a charming decoration for any space; dorm, apartment, office or living area. Measures 24- by 36- inches.

 

                               USA Dry Erase Map

·         World Dry Erase Map: For a more detailed world view, this dry erase map is great for academic and home settings.Measures 24- by 36- inches.

             World Dry Erase Map

Follow WallPops on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/wallpops, become a fan at: www.facebook.com/#!/wallpopsdecalsand follow them at: www.twitter.com/WallPopswallart.  View the WallPops blog at www.blog.wallpops.com. 

            WallPops by Brewster Home Fashions is the premier line of peel-and-stick wall art on the market today with on-trend design and total coordination possibilities.  Headquartered in Randolph, Mass., Brewster Home Fashions is one of the oldest independent, family-owned wallcovering companies in the U.S. that now spans five generations.  Since 1954, Brewster Home Fashions has been a prominent manufacturer and distributor of fine wallpapers and home decor products for residential and commercial markets globally.  A category leader, the company offers a range of brands and price points that provide more than 10,000 wall and window décor solutions.

Our Thoughts

We received the USA Dry Erase map. The map is easy to put up on the wall and takes little effort other than really needing to have two people to square it up and smooth it out seeing that it's a peel and stick.

Our nine-year-old was the most excited about the map as he had been learning about the different states in Social Studies this year. He was thrilled to be able to point out the capital cities and even circle some of the cities that we've visited with the dry erase marker.

The dry erase aspect of the map is the best thing for us as a family. Like I said, our oldest was able to circle some of the cities that we've visited over the years and really enjoyed himself. We've made a trail from where we live to other family member's cities on the map and stared some cities that we'd like to visit as a family. 

Wall Pops offers other maps that could be great tools for homeschoolers too! In my opinion, the dry erase maps are great and fun ways to get the kids to learn and ask questions about their country and their world! It makes for some pretty cool wall art too! 

This is the USA Dry Erase Map we received.

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were not influenced in any way.***